The US and the EU, after nearly two years of preparation, started talks yesterday aimed at securing a free trade agreement to squeeze new economic growth out of the world’s largest trade and investment relationship.

The Government is seeking to hammer out a lucrative EU-US trade agreement, which could be worth up to €100m to the economy.

LEADERS of the world’s industrialised powers warned yesterday that the global economy remains in danger and backed away from pledges on global warming as they started their annual summit.